Wed Feb 26 14:00:04 UTC 2025: **Trump Announces $1 Trillion Rare Earth Minerals Deal with Ukraine, Zelenskyy Expected to Visit**
Washington D.C. – President Donald Trump announced a landmark $1 trillion deal with Ukraine for the extraction of rare earth minerals, prompting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to plan a visit to Washington this week for the signing. The agreement, which follows a rejected draft and public disagreements between the two leaders, grants the US access to a significant portion of Ukraine’s rare earth resources in exchange for past aid provided to Ukraine.
The deal has sparked controversy. While Trump claims it will recoup the substantial US financial contributions to Ukraine’s war effort, critics argue the agreement is exploitative, potentially leaving Ukraine vulnerable without sufficient security guarantees. The details of the agreement remain undisclosed, but reports suggest it lacks explicit US security commitments or guarantees of continued weapons supplies. This omission has raised concerns in Kyiv and European capitals, particularly given Trump’s reported prior attempts to negotiate a peace deal with Russia that may have been disadvantageous to Ukraine.
Zelenskyy’s previous rejection of a draft deal underscored Ukraine’s insistence on security guarantees, particularly NATO membership, before considering such an agreement. This demand has been met with skepticism from the US administration. The rare earth minerals, crucial for high-tech industries, are a key component of Trump’s broader agenda to make the US a global leader in technology. Trump’s actions have been denounced by some as transactional and detrimental to US soft power.
European leaders are divided in their response, with some expressing support for the deal while others criticize it as self-serving and potentially harming Ukraine’s long-term interests and reconstruction efforts. The deal’s potential impact on global rare earth markets, currently dominated by China, remains to be seen. The timing of the deal and Zelenskyy’s visit coincide with growing tensions between the US and its allies over Trump’s foreign policy and his approach to the Ukraine conflict.
First Piper 